HANGU: The internally displaced persons (IDPs) shifting from the troubled Tirah valley of Khyber Agency to safer places in the country claimed that 10 elderly men and pregnant women died due to the lack of transport facility.

Talking to a group of reporters on Wednesday in Orakzai Agency, the chairman of the Tehrik-e-Mutasireen Khyber Agency, Malik Subat Khan and other IDPs claimed that these persons died while being shifted from the conflict area to safer places. They said their lives could have been saved had the political administration provided transport facility to the IDPs.

The displaced persons said the political administration of Orakzai Agency and the tribespeople had made arrangement for providing food and shelter to the IDPs from Khyber Agency, but the Khyber Agency’s administration had shown neglect to their plight.

They said the Orakzai Scouts and political administration had also provided transport facility to the IDPs for moving to safer places. “We had to walk for 10 hours on foot to reach our destination,” Suhbat Khan said.

Another tribesman, wishing not to be named, told The News that he was an old man and found it difficult to shift his family from his troubled village. He said he was unable to shift one of his physically crippled daughters. “Initially, I took her on my shoulders but after walking for some distance I realised that I could not carry her and decided to leave her at home in the village,” he added. He said his daughter requested him not to leave her unattended and begged him to shoot her as she feared that militants would dishonour her.

“I had to decide either to save her life or honour and chose the latter after repeated requests by my daughter,” he said as tears started rolling down his cheeks. He said the people would not have suffered such miseries had the political administration provided them transportation.